The Dream Lives On
by TronLives2
Summary: My idea of how One Piece should ultimately end.


In a sunny wood on an island in the Grand Line, and old marine Admiral walked. His hair had gone completely white and was starting to thin, but he stood tall and strong, despite a limp in his left leg. An old man, a proud man, coming to meet a long-standing acquaintance.

Another man, younger than the Admiral, but no longer young, sat beside a stream waiting for the marine to arrive. His black hair had grown to touch his shoulders, and he sported a small black beard streaked with a little grey. On his head was an old, tattered straw hat. He raised his head at the sound of footsteps.

"Oh, you're here finally! I thought you might've died on the way!"

"Shut up, Straw Hat. I don't move as fast as I did twenty years ago."

"Shie-shie-shie! It's good to see you, Smokey-san."

Admiral Smoker sat down cross-legged across from Luffy, and glared at the pirate irritably. "Why'd you send a message to me to meet you here?"

"I need a reason to see my old friend?"

"Quit it with that, Straw Hat. I'm a marine and you're a pirate, that's always made us enemies."

"But you came, Smokey. And I don't see your jutte."

Smoker couldn't argue with that.

They sat there, two men no longer young, as the water of the stream flowed by.

"Was it so bad, Smokey, having me as Pirate King?"

Smoker looked up in surprise at Luffy's serious tone. There was something about the pirate's face that warned him the true reason for this meeting was about to be revealed. Smoker glanced away, and replied, "No. Not really."

Ever since Luffy had conquered the Grand Line at the early age of 21, and married the pirate empress Boa Hancock, the world had changed. He and his queen had declared the entire world under his protection, and pirates had flocked to him to be a part of his pirate fleet. Luffy had rooted out the rotten pirates with no desires besides gain, and had taken to him only those he knew he could trust. He'd then sent out ships throughout the world, to protect the islands from those pirates who sought to challenge the authority of the King of the Pirates. Eventually, pirates learned either to respect Luffy's power, or be wiped out, and crime on the seas dropped like a stone. World peace had become a reality in the time that Luffy had been Pirate King, something that the Marines had never accomplished.

"It must be a curse, really," Luffy said. "The curse of the Pirate King." He smiled a little sadly, and said at last, "I'm dying, Smokey-san."

"What?" Smoker stared in disbelief at Luffy.

"I did it to myself, actually. Using Gear Second and Third wore out my body, and my life was already shortened by several years inside Impel Down. I've got less than a year left to live."

"Why are you telling me this, Straw Hat?"

"Because," Luffy fixed him with a serious look, "I'm entrusting my Will to you."

"Y-you can't be serious!"

"I've already disbanded my crew, and made arrangements for my subordinates to continue to protect the islands of the world. But my son…"

Smoker didn't like where this was going.

"My son, Smoker. He does not bear the sins of his parents. Please, take him and raise him."

"No way, Straw Hat. How can you ask me, a marine, to raise your son? Once you're dead, you know the World Government will be scouring the world for your kid to kill him."

Luffy smiled. "I know. And that's also why I know you'll do it, Smokey."

"Feh." Smoker scrunched up his face into an angry grimace, but inside he knew Straw Hat had him. "And what are you going to do, huh?"

"Me? I'm going to surrender myself to the World Government."

"You're going to what?!"

Luffy laughed again. "Why not? I've already accomplished my life's dream, so let the World Government have it's victory over me. But know this, Smokey-the One Piece exists, and as long as it does, those who possess the Will of D shall continue to seek it."

"You're nothing but trouble, Straw Hat."

"I've heard that a lot."

Two men, no longer young, sat together like old quarrelsome friends. One dying, the other going strong, enjoying the sun and for the moment, not thinking of the future.

When Luffy, the second Pirate King, was executed in his hometown in East Blue, there was great mourning around the world, instead of rejoicing. More than ever, pirates continued to sail the seas in search of the One Piece, but these were of a different breed. Wild dreamers with strong wills, and good hearts.

And when the World Government searched the world for Monkey D. Luffy's progeny, none were ever found.

Seventeen years later, a young man with black hair, wide blue eyes, and a toothy grin, set sail in a fishing boat on the blue seas, ready for adventure. An old, tattered straw hat, which had belonged to his father, he held clamped onto the crown of his head. The man who had raised him, a grizzled and grumpy old man with two cigars poking out of his mouth, stood on the shore to watch him leave.

"Monkey D. Chase," snarled the old man grumpily to himself. "Seriously, Straw Hat, did you have to name your kid after me?"

"Hey, jii-chan!" shouted Chase from the ship. "Thanks for everything! When I get back, I'm gonna be King of the Pirates!"

"JUST GET OUT OF HERE, BRAT!" Smoker roared.

Chase's response was a loud laugh; a laugh that spoke volumes to the love that truly stood between them.

As the sailboat disappeared into the distance, Smoker sank to the ground and muttered softly to himself, "I'm gonna to miss that kid. Heck…I'm gonna miss them both."


End file.
